On Saturday, October 5, Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI) athletes from across the state stepped off the playing field and onto the sidelines for a one-day Athletes as Coaches workshop from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Jerome’s School (1550 Farnham St.) in Columbus, Wisconsin to receive training on how to become a SOWI coach.
During the workshop, athletes learned the roles of a coach and discovered how to plan practice sessions. The athletes will continue with more training before they can become a registered athlete-coach.
Athletes as Coaches is one of SOWI’s Athlete Leadership Programs (ALPs) which encourages athletes to serve in meaningful leadership roles outside of sports. While coaching is a popular option for many athletes, others serve on committees or speak publically about the importance of Special Olympics. This free program motivates athletes to become more self-confident, develop workforce skills, teach others, become decision makers and serve as mentors to other athletes.
